Movie Review: The Bourne Legacy

I finally broke my “movie-watching hiatus” when hubby and I watched The Bourne Legacy yesterday. I can’t actually say I’m a fan but I am a keen follower of the Bourne series. This plus the fact that I wanted to see the finish product of the days of traffic in Manila when they were shooting the film, are just the two main reasons why I wanted to see it.

I’ve seen quite a lot of not-so-good feedback about the film, specifically its ending. I have to say that it was a bit anticlimactic. Parang, ay tapos na yun? But I guess, it was supposed to be like that. There is The Bourne Betrayal after all. I hope so!

But from start until before the abrupt ending, I liked it! Call me weird. Don’t shoot me, but unlike those who didn’t like the film, I did. Although my head hurt slightly from the chase scenes and the fact that the most decent seats we got are those on the fourth row of the cinema.

A lot of people didn’t like Jeremy Renner. The same thing happened when Daniel Craig replaced Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. In my humble opinion, I don’t think it’s fair for Renner to be compared with Matt Damon, he is not Jason Bourne after all. But I actually like his portrayal. Nagsabog ng ka-astigan ang langit, sinalo nya lahat! I was never really fond of him even after he appeared in The Avengers. But I had a change of heart after seeing The Bourne Legacy. So to those who do not like him, ok lang, sa akin na lang siya! :p He may not be the hunkiest, most handsome Hollywood actor, but the man is a kickass! His roughness and rawness definitely showed on the big screen. ‘Yung tipong, ang dungis na, astig pa rin!

And Rachel Weisz? She’s simply brilliant! I don’t even have the words to describe her acting prowess. Also, Zeljko Ivanek, who I came to know from 24 and Heroes, portrayed the role of Dr. Donald Foite very well! My heart was racing as he was killing his colleagues. :|

The Filipino actors were mesmerizing. The short but powerful portrayal of John Arcilla as a security guard really made a mark. I really admire that guy. And who can forget Lou Veloso?

Memorable Manila Moments:

When Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) mentioned Manila, Philippines, I wanted to shout AT LAST! I looked at my watch and noticed that I waited for almost an hour and a half to have a glimpse of Manila.

The first Manila scene. Even with your eyes closed and even without a single mention of a Tagalog word, you’d know it’s Manila! Of course, that is if you grew up in Manila. Parang iba ang pitch ng mga busina natin ano? :p

Joel Torre! What? You didn’t see Joel Torre? You were definitely not paying attention. :p